The Indian cricket team's unexpected 0-2 loss to the Proteas in the recent red-ball series has sent shockwaves through the squad.
In the final match, the visiting team gave India a record Test defeat by runs, defying expectations. This represented the Proteas' maiden series victory in India in 25 years and India's another home failure in just a year after a decade-plus without a home loss.
The positive trajectory gained during the last several months has almost disappeared and the prospects of a number of cricketers - along with head mentor Gautam Gambhir - are now uncertain.
Early Optimism Disappears
The young team's strong showing in England this summer, under a fresh leadership, indicated a smooth transition following the near-simultaneous departures of key players Ashwin, Rohit Sharma, and Virat Kohli.
An easy 2-0 triumph over the Windies at the start of the home campaign boosted that belief, till the Proteas turned up and handed out a fell blow.
India were a tad unfortunate that leader Gill was injured very early in the initial match and did not participate again in the series. Yet that neither explains nor absolves the side of the terribly sub-par display in the two games against South Africa.
Several established players were damaged, and multiple individuals hoping for long red-ball careers were shown as still inadequate - technically or mentally - for the format.
Concerning History
This was the second whitewash on home soil suffered by India in just a year. Last year, unfancied the Kiwis had secured a surprising 3-0 victory which practically cost India a spot in the Test championship finale.
The latest loss to South Africa threatens to derail India's hopes of reaching the showpiece of this season also.
After being third in the Test championship standings ahead of the matches, India have been relegated to fifth place. Though nine more Tests are still to come, five of these are against Australia. Typically, competing on home turf would be a major plus - even against the powerful Australians. However the failures against the Kiwis and South Africa offer no room for such assurance.
Reasons for the Slump
India's weakness in Test cricket has been significantly highlighted. That said, why India have fared so badly in Test matches on home soil lately is continues to confuse.
In the 21st century, the Indian cricket team were seen as unbeatable in Test cricket in home conditions. In demanding climates and on surfaces that helped spin and benefited their players, the hosts dominated all comers. The occasional loss, like in 2012-13 against the English, was considered an aberration.
Today, the team seem beatable on home turf.
Against the Kiwis in 2024 and the Proteas this year, India were defeated by their own tactics. The tracks they developed to help their style went wrong completely, as the opposition exploited them better, beating the home team's players when it counted the most.
What's Gone Wrong?
Some suggest that India is failing in home conditions because home surfaces have been modified from spinning tracks to quick wickets to get cricketers ready to do well in foreign conditions.
Others highlight that the IPL, in which many overseas players participate, has reduced the mystery and hardship home wickets would challenge them with in the past.
Even though there is a degree of accuracy in each argument, it does not clarify the reason the side's results at home have experienced such a sharp fall.
Several Weaknesses
The majority of ex-cricketers point to a complex, multi-headed problem, not just a couple of reasons.
Experts and participants have pointed to multiple deficiencies after India's humiliating loss to the South Africans: underestimating the opposition, lack of preparation, poor choices, arrogance, frequent changes of the starting eleven, and prioritising white-ball over red-ball cricket.
This was obvious in the performances of the team.
Players like Pant and Jaiswal, of whom so much was expected, suffered for their lack of application, while Sai Sudarshan, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and Jurel - who were looking to cement their spot in the side - were found wanting in ability and attitude, facing the fallout for their lackadaisical method.
A small number - Jadeja, Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Sundar - lived up to their talent and reputation - but inadequately to secure victories.
Management Questions
The review didn't spare just the players - selectors and coaching staff were also questioned, driven by upset followers and critical former players. Under focus of the scrutiny was mentor Gautam Gambhir.
At his post-series press
